


Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away

by ughfitz (wokemeup)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fitzsimmons Secret Valentine, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Kissing, Kissing in the Rain, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-03-18 16:51:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13685781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wokemeup/pseuds/ughfitz
Summary: For Jemma, rainstorms have always been a source of comfort to her. Once she meets Fitz, that feeling is only amplified. (Or, four times a little bit of water brings Fitz and Simmons closer to one another.)A FS Secret Valentine gift for @chidi-anagonye, hosted by The Fitzsimmons Network over on Tumblr!





	1. Part I: The Academy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [a_ufo_party](https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_ufo_party/gifts).



> Hello, @chidi-anagonye! I'm so excited to reveal that I am your Secret Valentine! I loved working with your prompt and I hope that you enjoy what I've done with it...and trust me, we'll actually get to the car part shortly (in two different ways!) 
> 
> Prompt: "Rain on the roof of the car, blankets in the backseat, and midnight radio."
> 
> Endless thanks goes out to [agentcalliope](http://agentcalliope.tumblr.com/) for whipping this into shape and leaving me comments that make me laugh and smile! You're the best :)

In a rare evening of complete freedom, Jemma heaved a heavy sigh, and skipped pass title after title in the small array of films in her collection. Nothing, unfortunately, stood out. Each one was lacking in one Friday Night Film criteria or another, and before she knew it, she had reached the end of her small set. She let out a groan of equal parts boredom and frustration at how unfortunate her night was  _ already _ going. Not wanting to venture out (the dark storm clouds rumbling in the distance did little to assuage her motivation to leave), Jemma knew it was either stay inside and ruin her free evening, or suck it up and get something she’d actually enjoy watching. Letting out a tired breath, she walked to the hallway closet, reached for her coat, grabbed her keys, and made her way down to her car.

As she pulled into the parking lot, the neon orange sign casting a warm glow down on her, she smiled, glad she hadn’t let the approaching storm deter her from coming.  [ Family Video ](https://www.familyvideo.com/) was the quintessential shop for any and all of your movie needs. Their selection was ten times better than the blue and gold behemoth that need not be named, and the past two times Jemma had trudged her way in, Fran -- the lovely co-owner of the shop -- snuck in an extra snack or two. Truly, if Jemma was forced to go anywhere with her tired mood and the abysmal weather literally looming above her, Family Video, was the place to be. 

Somewhere in the store, a movie played faintly as Jemma stood deep in thought, torn between two movies that had grabbed her attention. Finally deciding on one, she reached for the case when, out of nowhere, another hand plunged in for  _ her _ movie.

Letting out an indignant huff, Jemma turned to look at the owner of the offending hand, a speech about her having been there first ready to spill from her lips, when she found herself staring into the bluest pair of eyes she had ever seen.

Feeling her cheeks begin to warm after realizing that she had been staring for just a moment too long, Jemma began to stutter out an apology, only to have her words muddled by the blue-eyed boy standing across from her screeching out an equally flustered string of words. Pausing, she took a moment to really get a look at the boy and realized that those eyes and the words infused with the slightly thick Scottish accent belonged to the same boy from Professor Vaughn’s class. Fitz was his name, she recalled. Not Leopold, but Fitz. 

_ Great, _ she thought. The only boy anywhere close to her age at the Academy, the only person she had attempted to befriend before the start of term,  _ and _ the only person to ever abruptly ignore her welcoming gesture, and the universe had decided that  _ he _ was the one that she would come face-to-face with tonight. Beginning to feel rather annoyed by the whole situation - especially remembering that her unfortunate run-in had begun when he had tried to steal her movie - Jemma quickly tugged at said selection, only to be met with a surprising amount of resistance.

“Wha-?” Fitz began, but was promptly cut off by Jemma’s own rebuttal.

“Oh, no,” she began. “I was here first, the movie is mine. I’m sure they have another copy somewhere else,” she lied, knowing for a fact that they didn’t. Her kindhearted nature and fondness for Fran had led her to spend one of her previously free Fridays cataloging the store in a much more efficient and organized manner.

“Hey!” Fitz responded, his eyes narrowing. “Just because you might have spotted the movie first, does not mean you get to keep it. My hand is at the bottom so,  _ technically _ , I got to it first and the movie is mine!” His voice rose higher and higher with each word.

It was only after the two realized how close they were to one another, how their hands were still clasped, and how loud they were practically shouting, did they quickly step away from one another and drop the movie.

Fitz moved his hand to nervously scratch at the back of his neck, while Jemma for her part, tugged anxiously at the ends of her hair. Finally looking up at one another, they each had the decency to blush before murmuring out a quiet apology.

Taking a deep breath, Jemma looked towards Fitz and softly admitted, “I’m sorry for behaving so rudely. I just…I was really looking forward to watching  _ this  _ particular film, and my copy at home has gone missing, and the weather has done nothing for my foul mood. Not that that excuses my behavior, it was awful of me to try and take it from you, and I’m sorry, truly.”

Fitz looked at her, eyes wide, and mouth slightly falling open. Swallowing, he shook his head and replied, “No, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to get so loud. My copy, well I may have  _ accidentally _ stepped on it. It’s my only night off this week, just wanted to stay in and watch it.” He shrugged, and for the first time that evening, Jemma noticed how his blue eyes seemed to perfectly compliment his face. She, of course, promptly ignored the wayward thought.

Bending down to pick of the movie, Jemma stood up and fiddled with the plastic covering. “Look,” she began. “I know you may not enjoy my company, but maybe we could possibly, I mean not that you have to, but perhaps we could, again, only if you wanted to, but if you’d like, we could share the movie?” Her nerves made her words stumble out in one long stream, and she wasn’t certain he understand her intentions.

He surprised her, however, by scrunching his face in confusion and asking her, “Why wouldn’t I enjoy your company?”

“Oh, you know...” she replied, hoping he would remember and that she wouldn’t have to go into the embarrassing details of their first encounter. Fitz continued staring at her with the same confused face. “Oh!” Jemma cried out. “Don’t make me say it.” She forced herself to keep her free hand at her side and stop it from coming up to tug at her hair -- a nervous trait she was continually working on breaking.

“Say what?” Fitz cried out, still obviously confused.

“Oh, Fitz!” He raised an eyebrow in response, shocked that she knew his name. “You must remember that first time we met? When you made it clear that you didn’t like me. When you just ignored me?” Her vivid imagination forced her to mentally rewatch the encounter, a flush creeping up her face at the memory.

“You…” he started but looked down for a moment to gather his thoughts. “You thought I didn’t like you?” She gave a small nod in response. “I…” he paused, trying to find the right words to explain himself. “But I never hated you. I was just nervous and didn’t want to say the wrong thing to you. I mean,  _ clearly _ that didn’t work.” He paused and looked up, Jemma’s breath momentarily catching. “All this time you thought I hated you?”

Now staring wide-eye at him, she again gave a small nod in return. “I...well, yes.”

“No, never.” The awkward silence that stretched between them was lessened and became more comfortable. Finally, they smiled, relief flooding through both of them knowing that there was no animosity between them, only a bit of miscommunication.

“Well then, that’s a relief. So…” she trailed off, her eyebrows raising questioningly as she shook the movie.

“Right, the movie.”

“My offer still stands, you’re free to come to my room” she offered before quickly adding, “to watch the movie, of course.” They were clearly still testing out the waters of their newfound acquaintanceship, but she had a small sliver of hope that Fitz would agree.

“Uh, yeah, sure. That sounds...that sound great.” He gave a small shrug, and together they walked to the checkout, Fran ready as always with a kind smile and a stack of snacks.

“Ah,” the woman cried out delightedly. “My two favorite customers finally meet!” Both Jemma and Fitz blushed, but smiled appreciatively at her.

She rang up their items, carefully tucked them into a plastic bag, and bid them a warm farewell, Jemma nearly missing the quick wink the older woman sent her way as she walked out the door.

They got into Jemma’s car and drove back to the Academy as Fitz thanked her more than once for the invite and ride. Once outside of her dorm, Jemma found herself suddenly fiddling with her key, Fitz’s presence behind her sending a mix of nerves and excitement. Just a few hours prior, she had been planning on watching her movie, enjoying  the quiet and blissfully roommate-free dorm before getting a good night’s rest. Now, however, her night had changed dramatically. And despite the lingering nerves, she was eagerly looking forward to her change in plans. Finally opening the door, she and Fitz walked past the threshold, Jemma flicking on the lights and kicking off her flats as she went.

Fitz followed suit and walked over to the small table to set their bag of goodies down. Jemma called out to him from the kitchenette and asked if he could put on the film, she’d get the popcorn and snacks ready. They quietly worked on their separate tasks before they both hesitantly sat down on opposite sides of the couch, the large bowl of popcorn and stacks of candy piled between them. Once the movie began and they each became lost in the world playing out in front of them, they both seemed to relax. Jemma smiled when Fitz murmured some of the lines under his breath, her own muted recitation pulling the same small smile from Fitz. Soon enough they were excitedly whispering back and forth, odd bits of trivia and science slipping in here and there, twin smiles adorning their faces.

Despite knowing the movie inside and out, they still yelped out in terror when the stroke of lightning in the scene lit the TV screen and a roaring boom of thunder sounded outside of their building. Suddenly, the room was shrouded in darkness, all of the lights and TV having shut off. Popcorn was scattered across the floor and couch having spilled during their sudden bout of terror. Not realizing that they had moved closer and closer to one another throughout the film, they looked at each other, eyes widened in shock. Hearts thumping in beat with the tapping of rain against the window, they began laughing, the absurdity of their reaction eliciting enough giggles to cause their sides to stitch.

After they caught their breaths, Jemma found her head resting tentatively on Fitz’s shoulder as she wiped away tears. Outside, the rain was still coming down in sheets, lightning brightening up the room ever so often. She knew that she should probably move her head now, even so, she continued resting her head on his shoulder, the quiet puff of his breath safe and somehow familiar.

“Fitz,” she began in a whisper. It felt wrong to speak loud in the silence, somehow the darkness made everything seem so intimate, as though anything above a whisper would break the magic and the moment would be no more.

“Yeah?” he replied, his body moving slightly as he turned to look down at her.

“Do you think the rain is going to let up anytime soon?” They turned to look outside, and though they couldn’t see anything, it was clear from the whipping of the wind and rain against the windows that the storm was going nowhere.

“Doesn’t sound like it.”

Clearing her throat, she begrudgingly pulled herself away from Fitz and turned to look him straight on. Willing herself not to tug at her hair, she smiled and softly asked him, “Don’t suppose you might want to stay here tonight to avoid the rain? I know the boys’ dormitories are across campus and I don’t want you to have to walk all the way there in the rain.” Despite her best efforts, she felt her cheeks heat up and was grateful for the darkness.

Looking up at her with earnest eyes, Fitz’s lip slipped upwards into a small smile. “Uh, I mean, yeah, no, uh, sure, if that’s really okay.”

Smiling fondly at his nervous reply (she was glad that he was feeling just as awkward about the situation as she was), she offered, “Of course it’s okay. I have plenty of extra blankets and pillows.”

While Jemma rummaged around her closet for the extra items, Fitz Macgyvered the TV back to working and set the movie to where it had stopped. When Jemma returned, she gave Fitz a wide smile and placed the blankets and pillows at the bottom of the couch. “Suppose we can finish the movie before going to bed?”

“Yeah, was just waiting for you to come back” he replied.

Settling back onto the couch, this time much closer to Fitz, they continued watching the movie, once again whispering back and forth to one another. Still buzzing with energy, they popped in another film, the distance between them closing in with each passing minute.

By the end, Jemma struggled to keep her eyes open, the combination of the warmth Fitz radiated and the dark room making her drowsy. Her head once again nestled in the crook of Fitz’s shoulder, she let her eyes slip close.

In the moments before she fell asleep, she thought about how her once rather dull evening plans had not gone according to plan in the least bit. But as the rain continued to pour outside, the rumble of thunder boomed in the distance, and Fitz tucked her in closer to his side and wrapped the blankets around them, she smiled. This was the best Friday she had had in a long time, and she looked forward to many more.


	2. Part II: Sci-Ops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jemma discovers something in the middle of the most unlikely of places.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, a million thanks goes out to [agentcalliope](http://agentcalliope.tumblr.com/) for looking over this!

Several years later, Jemma and Fitz’s friendship had only grown stronger. Much to the surprise of their fellow Academy cadets, and now their coworkers at Sci-Ops, they remained nothing more than best friends.

Best friends who worked together in the same lab.

Best friends who lived together.

Best friends who did everything together – including spring cleaning.

Jemma was knee deep in their front closet, several neat stacks of accumulated junk sitting behind her. Reaching in once more, her hand landed on a hard, rectangular-shaped item. Pulling it out, Jemma’s eyes widened as she realized what she had found hidden underneath years of stuffed-in items.

“Fitz!” she called out. Hearing no reply, she called out his name once more. “Fitz!!”

“Yeah!” she heard his muffled reply. He was supposed to be cleaning underneath the sink, but Jemma had a sneaking suspicion that he had found something or other that “needed fixing.”

“Fitz. Look what I just found,” her tone a little more exasperated than needed, but she was hoping to get her point across.

Pulling himself out from underneath the sink, he looked up at her, clearly confused.

“What’s that?” he asked as he pushed himself up and walked closer to her.

“Do you remember that DVD we rented that first night we met?” He nodded, though she could tell that he was still missing what Jemma was getting at. “The DVD that you  _ promised _ to return to the store?”

Realization sinking in, his eyes widened slightly, and he had the decency to at least look somewhat remorseful. “Ah, yes…that one.” he muttered. “Well, don’t worry about it, Jemma, they probably aren’t even open anymore. It’s not like they’re going to miss one copy.”

Rolling her eyes and forcing herself to focus on her task and not the way Fitz looked in the white undershirt, she forged on with her lecture. “Ugh, Fitz! It doesn’t matter if they had other copies! What matters is that we have  _ stolen _ property in our possession and I’m sure they would like it returned. Poor, Fran…” she muttered, softly shaking her head thinking about the undue stress they had caused the friendly woman.

“Don’t ‘ugh, Fitz’ me!” he cried out. Reaching forward, he plucked the offending item out of her hand and read the bright green letters stamped onto the back of the case. PROPERTY OF FAMILY VIDEO. “Bet they’re not even open. People don’t watch DVDs anymore, stores are shutting down left and right. Let’s not worry about it!” He hoped that his efforts might persuade her to drop it, but Jemma was nothing if not stubborn.

“No, Fitz! I won’t let us hold onto this any longer! Who knows, there might be two of us at the shop right now looking for this exact film. If we don’t return it, we might ruin a potential friendship. I won’t have that on my conscience!” Walking over to her computer and pointedly ignoring the pouting face of Fitz, she did a quick search and let out a happy exclamation when she found out that the store was indeed still open.

“Oh, perfect!” she cried out. “Come on, Fitz. Hurry up and go change so we can go to the shop and return it. Maybe we can pick out something else while we’re at it.”

Moving out of the kitchen into her room, she plucked out a faded jumper, not quite certain if it belonged to her or Fitz, and walked back out, her purse and the DVD in her hands and ready to go.

“Come on, Fitz!”

Moments later, Fitz emerged from his room, muttering something or other about the whole ordeal being completely unnecessary. Ignoring him once more, they locked up and walked out of their flat, before heading down.

Unlocking the doors of her car, they buckled up, Fitz fiddled with the radio, while she drove them over to the family store.

A small bell chimed over their heads as they entered the shop, alerting the other patrons to their presence. Walking determinedly over to the front register, Jemma smiled when she was greeted with the familiar smiling face of Fran.

“Oh, my two favorite customers come back to visit!” Fran smiled widely as the two of them and reached over to gently squeeze Jemma’s hand. Despite Fitz’s minor annoyance, he couldn’t help but crack a smile.

The three of them chatted for a bit before Jemma cleared her throat and began to explain the situation and how sorry she was for not visiting since the last time (their newfound friendship had led to many new scientific discoveries that left little room for free time), and also for not returning the movie. With a wave of her hand, Fran tried to dismiss Jemma’s worries and assured her that it was not a big deal. “Nothing to fret about, dear.”

Still feeling guilty, Jemma once again attempted to apologize when Fran cut her off. “If you’d really like to pay for the accidental long-term borrowing,” she continued on as Jemma nodded vigorously. “Then you two can rent another movie and buy some snacks.”

At the mention of snacks, Fitz perked up from behind Jemma and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “That sounds  _ great _ ,” Fitz replied, pulling Jemma away from the counter and towards the aisles of movies.

Reluctantly, Jemma followed and soon they were bickering over which movie to watch. Finally agreeing on one (a long overdue follow-up to their stolen movie), they walked to the front where Fitz proceeded to swoop up every box of candy and snack he could find. Rolling her eyes but smiling fondly at him, Jemma reached into her purse and pulled out some bills.

Once paid, the two bid farewell to Fran, promising to return soon. Like their previous encounter, Jemma barely caught the knowing wink from Fran, flushing slightly at the insinuation.

When they reached her car, Jemma let out an annoyed huff at the mess on her car. Having just washed it, she was more than a little frustrated to find the vehicle covered in a thick layer of dirty water, likely residual spray from a passing bus.

Deciding that a car wash was a must, Fitz directed her to the nearest one, her muffled complaints causing Fitz to chuckle and add, “We went through all that trouble to go to Family Video, the least we can do is go and get this filth off.” His face scrunched in disgust as a sludge of mud skid down the window. “Besides, you always go off about how ‘A clean lab is a happy lab, Fitz’ yet your car is disgusting, reminds of that cat liver,” he shivered. “It’s a miracle you can even drive it!”

“Oh, Fitz, that’s not even how I sound! Besides, it’s science, I have to dissect something! As for the car,” she gave him a pointed look, “it is far cleaner than your room!” she cried out with an exasperated sigh, though the small smile she gave let Fitz know he was right about some of it.  

\---

Jemma had always found carwashes to be profoundly interesting. It was like being stuck in a mini thunderstorm, the pounding of the water on the windows and the booming noise of the brushes clashing against the vehicle reminding her of stormy nights cozied up at home.

As the car slowly moved forward and into the wash, she looked over in surprise at Fitz as he leaned his seat back and smiled when he caught her staring.

Nodding at her to follow suit, Jemma confirmed that nobody was behind her to rush her out once the wash was complete, and leaned back.

The colors of the rainbow soap splattering across the windshield combined with the strong scent of artificial cherries made her smile. Next to her, she saw that Fitz had closed her eyes and was now quietly humming along to the soft music drifting out of the speakers.

Even in the dim light of the wash, her breath caught at how incredibly handsome Fitz was. It wasn’t something she let herself think about too often, he was her best friend after all, and best friends didn’t have thoughts like that. But with the way the rainbow suds and the outside evening sunset speckled a sheer rainbow across his face, she couldn’t help but marvel at the magic little bubble they were in.

Having felt her eyes on him, Fitz opened his eyes and smiled. “What?” he laughed, likely a little self-conscious as her intensity.

Staring at him for a just a moment longer, she smiled back at him and looked once more at the now fading suds. “Don’t you love carwashes?”

Fitz simply hummed in agreement, the ensuing silence perfect.

As the wash neared completion, the two sat back up and buckled themselves back in.

Fitz smiled softly and remarked, “Everything sounds better in a carwash.” It was in that moment, the little droplets of water rapidly falling down the window as the overhead dryers blasted air, the fruity scent still lingering in the air, that Jemma realized something.

She was completely and madly in love with Fitz.

Sure, she already knew that she loved him. He was her closest friend, he matched her wit for wit, and he had  _ excellent _ taste in films.

But until this moment, until they were trapped in their own mini rainstorm, she had never realized, never  _ allowed _ herself to consider the fact that she was  _ in _ love with her best friend. Not wanting to ruin anything, she took a moment to swallow, and replied “Yes. Yes it does.”

As she pulled out of the carwash, she shielded her eyes from the lowering sun and smiled to herself.

Yes, she was terrified of her sudden revelation, but at the same time, understanding that she was in love with Fitz was the most freeing and wonderful feeling in the world. That night as they sat down to watch their movie and eat copious amounts of junk food, she smiled once more at the familiar yet new feelings she had for the boy who had wormed his way into her life and heart. Snuggling deeper into his side, she focused back on the movie, happy to spend yet another night with her best friend.

Who also happened to be the love of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, comments and kudos are appreciated :)


	3. Part III: Stark Industries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little rain won't hurt them, in fact, it may just be the catalyst for something more.

Several years into their stint at Sci-Ops, Jemma found herself bored with the same monotonous routine. She wasn’t bored with Fitz, ever, but the tests they were running barely scratched the surface of what she knew they were both capable of doing. Besides, after the rumors that a god - one of those mythological ones that at one time belonged only in stories - had suddenly appeared in New Mexico turned out to be true, she knew she needed a change.

Of course, being stuck in a lab left her with limited options for discovering fascinating specimens, and thus the need for fieldwork first came to her.

She broached the subject with Fitz carefully, and after a long weekend of thoughtful consideration on Fitz’s part, he emerged that Sunday afternoon and let her know that he’d follow her anywhere. With a slight shrug, he offered, “I guess we’re going into the field now.” Ignoring the surge of feelings she had discovered during that fateful carwash, she instead wound her arms tightly around him, laughing at the way he scrunched up his face in mock displeasure.

After assurance from Fitz that he wasn’t agreeing to fieldwork just for her, Jemma became a flurry of research and preparation for their field assessments.

But after three failed attempts at passing and one particularly nasty bruise on her cheek, she glumly accepted that they were never going out into the field. The defeat she felt was less an annoyance at failing something, but rather a hollowness in knowing that she was destined to spend the rest of her career confined to the walls of a simple lab.

Despite Fitz’s valiant attempts to cheer her up, her sour mood lasted for several days.

Days later and still wanting to be left alone, Jemma hunkered down in her and Fitz’s shared lab, cocooned in the safety of science. Suddenly, the door to their lab burst open, the motion sending a flurry of papers from the tabletop whirling up into the air. Glaring at the intruder for being so careless for lab safety and unnecessarily making a mess of her pristine space, she was about to go into full lecture mode when she came face-to-face with Fitz and the biggest smile she had ever seen.

Still, she couldn’t let even  _ him  _ get away with such careless and, quite frankly, dangerous actions. “Fitz! Must you barge in like that? I could have ruined my samples!” she reprimanded.

“Sorry, Jemma” he replied, though there was little hint of sorrow in his voice. Leaning across the counter, he carefully placed a gaudy envelope adorned in what appeared to be real gold and specks of diamond dust on the table. Addressed in a rushed but neat scrawl, she saw her and Fitz’s names pressed clearly in the center. “Go on,” he nodded, clearly excited.

Easily opening the envelope, she asked Fitz as she pulled out the stiff paper tucked inside, “Did you already open it, Fitz?” Nodding sheepishly back at her, she simply smiled back at him and his obvious childlike excitement, her prior exasperation now forgotten.

Unfolding the document, her eyes immediately honed in on the garish Stark Industries emblem at the bottom of the page. Looking up in excitement at Fitz, she found him staring at her with a wide smile and a sparkle in his eyes.

_ FitzSimmons - _

_ I hear fieldwork is out. Stop by the office next week, say, Tuesday at 11:30am. I’ll let Pepper know you’re coming. _

_ We’re going to do great things, the three of us. _

_ Tony _

She looked up at Fitz, her mouth falling open in astonishment. Fitz, for his part, suddenly looked shy, as though he was slightly nervous to see her reaction. “Fitz…” she began. “Did you know about this?”

Face reddening, he looked down and fiddled with the top of the envelope. “I know you were disappointed about failing our assessments, so I might have reached out to Stark Industries last week. Didn’t think I’d hear back so soon, especially from  _ him _ . But…” he trailed off and shrugged.

“Fitz…” she replied softly, suddenly overwhelmed with appreciation and love for her best friend. She adored this man more than she could ever possibly express, even if she had to keep the feelings to herself knowing that their friendship was too important to risk.

Confusing her silence for rejection, he rambled, “I mean, if it’s something you don’t want to do, we can find something else.” Pausing for a moment, he continued, “I made a promise to you that I would follow you anywhere, and I meant it.”

Encouraged by Fitz’s sincerity, she reached over and squeezed his hand. “I think it sounds perfect.”

Their meeting the following week was...different, but also excellent. In a matter of days, they found themselves working in their own private lab, an endless supply of resources at their hands, and an eccentric new boss to boot. It wasn’t fieldwork, but working with Fitz and inventing new tools that were revolutionizing the world was just as great, if not better.

The days were long but rewarding. More often than not, they would come home at night, dead on their feet, easily collapsing in a tangle of limbs on their couch, lazily whispering their ideas for the next day. 

Fitz’s concern for her feelings combined with his genuineness and incredible wits had paid off with Stark, and for that, Jemma was forever thankful to him. Because of him, they were working their dream job - truly living the life she had never imagined for herself. Jemma was certain that her life couldn’t be more perfect.

So content with her new routine, Jemma was thrown off when Pepper dropped by one day and asked if she’d be interested in speaking at a conference at the end of the month. At first, she considered politely declining the invite knowing that at that time she and Fitz had a set project deadline. But as Pepper continued describing the conference, one about female leaders in STEM corporations, Jemma knew that she couldn’t refuse the offer. Plus, there was the added hope that she might run into Jane Foster.

Over the next few weeks, she worked overtime to cover her part of the project, knowing that she wanted her tests and notes completed before she left. Her diligent work paid off, and by the time she was set to leave, she had enough time to double check that she had everything she could possibly need tucked away in her neatly packed suitcase. Fitz, unfortunately, was busy in meetings all day and just barely made it home in time to drive Jemma to the airport for her flight. They said their goodbyes and reminded one another of their Sunday plans to binge watch the second season of their latest obsession, as if either of them would actually forget about the plans.

It always amazed her how much of a pair she and Fitz were. Only until they were separated for holiday, or in this case work, did she remember how truly entwined their lives were. She was surprised to find that she missed hearing Fitz’s shuffling down the short walkway to the use the bathroom in the middle of the night, his muffled snores leaking through the walls into her room, and the greeting of his sleepy smile when he finally emerged from his room after sleeping in much later than her precise 6am wake up call.

Her flashy hotel room felt far too sterile without Fitz’s presence, the ticking of the clock reminding her that she would be home soon.

After the conference was over (her chat with Jane Foster had been both nerve-wracking and exhilarating), she waited in the airport lounge, her phone buzzing often with the quick back-and-forth exchanges between her and Fitz.

Waiting for her flight, she watched as dark storm clouds formed out in the distant horizon before she gulped down the rest of drink. After paying, she got up and began the long walk to her gate. Halfway there, she felt yet another buzz in her pocket. Expecting a reply from Fitz, she smiled, but quickly scowled when she saw the alert. Her flight had been delayed due to poor weather in a neighboring city and now she was stuck at the airport.

Sighing, she texted Fitz the update and walked around and looked for a seat to hunker down in. She hoped it wouldn’t be more than a few hours at most, the delay wrinkling her evening plans with Fitz. Their movie nights had become something of tradition, only now she used it as an excuse to cuddle close to Fitz in a manner that may have blurred the lines between friends and something more.

Though Fitz was busy at work, he still managed to keep up conversation with Jemma, their texts a pleasant way to pass the time. Tired of sitting in the same spot with the same view and the fussy baby crying in the background, however, she got up and walked to the nearby shop.

Perusing the various overpriced items, she eagerly pulled out her phone to send a picture of a funny mug she found, but instantly frowned when she saw the notification from the airline.

Canceled. Her flight was canceled and so, it seemed, were her and Fitz’s plans. Terribly disappointed, she begrudgingly sent Fitz the news and waited for his reply. Unlike his previous near-instantaneous texts, she was surprised to find that a response never came.

Ten minutes and still no reply later, she hiked up the handle on her bag and looked for a spot to sit down so that she could figure out what to do next.

Once she found a hotel to stay in for the night, per Pepper’s recommendation, she let Fitz know her plans, figuring that his lack of response was due to a meeting or some sort of infamous Stark Industries crisis.

Later, she settled into her hotel room, showered to rid herself of the stale airport air, and munched on her room service. She flicked on the TV and chose some program, only half-heartedly listening while she began the arduous task of checking emails.

Finished with her food, she got ready for bed and settled beneath the soft sheets. Outside, the storm raged on whipping fat droplets of water against the window, bolts of lightning lighting up her room.

For the first time since she was a young girl, the storm did little to comfort her. Tossing and turning, she reached over for her phone to check and see if she had any missed texts. Unfortunately, her inbox sat empty.

Frustrated that sleep wasn’t coming easy, she sat up and searched for the remote, hoping the sounds from the TV might drown out the howling of the wind.

Just as she found the remote, she stiffened when she heard three sharp knocks sound from outside of the door. Perhaps due to the real-life crime program she had watched before bed, or simply because of the lack of sleep, Jemma imagined the worst-case scenarios waiting for her.

Hesitantly, she crawled out from under the sheets and walked to the door, the remote still clutched in her hand, ready to be used as a weapon if need be.

Once closer, she was about to look through the peephole when she heard a familiar voice call out from the other side.

“Jemma, it’s me…Fitz,” he clarified.

Letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, Jemma peeked out to confirm and quickly opened the door. Smiling at him, she saw that Fitz was completely soaked from the rain, his curls matted down, though the storm had done little to dampen the wide smile cracking his face.

Despite his wet clothes, she reached forward and pulled him in for a hug, a shocked giggle escaping her.

“What,” she asked as she pulled away and brought him into her room. “Are you doing here? Not that I mind, that is.”

He rambled on about using one of Tony’s new toys (a specially designed, weatherproof helicopter of sorts) to fly out to her hotel. He mentioned something or other about embarrassing grand gestures and not wanting their plans to be ruined or hear any spoilers, but all Jemma could focus on was the fact that Fitz - her darling, sweet, and terribly kind best friend - had stopped everything just to come and pick her up in the middle of a horrendous rainstorm.

Grand  _ romantic _ gesture, indeed.

Far too used to overthinking things, particularly when it came to Fitz, she let go of any hesitations and grabbed him by the collar of his rain-soaked shirt. Pulling him down to her, their lips collided in a bit of a messy kiss, though it was easily the best kiss she had ever experienced.

Despite her eagerness for more and knowing that this was what she had always wanted (even if she had tried to suppress the feelings for so long), she feared that it wasn’t something Fitz wanted and began to pull back.

Much to her surprise and pleasure, Fitz wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer. Their heated snog was brilliant beyond belief, and sooner than she would have liked, they both pulled back, the need to breathe too strong.

Resting her forehead against his, she looked up at him shyly and smiled at the look of amazement shining in his eyes.

Clearing her throat, she murmured, “I’ve waited  _ so _ long for that.”

Eyes widening, he looked down at her in disbelief. “Wha--really?”

Nodding her head, she confessed to him how at some point during their years of friendship, her feelings for him had turned into something more than that of a best friend.

Shaking his head in disbelief, he leaned in for another kiss, his own whispered confession slipping out between the meetings of their lips. They truly were quite the pair, both inhibited by fear over the same feelings, but completely content in this new and wonderful development.

Reluctantly stepping away from one another, they walked towards her bed where she sunk down onto the mattress. She was about to ask him if he’d like to join her, a little hesitant she was being too forward, when a buzz sounded from his pocket.

Regretfully, he tore his eyes from her and checked his phone. Though the sudden turn in their relationship had conjured thoughts of spending the rest of the night alone, their pilot was waiting to take them home. As Jemma changed and packed, Fitz pressed the home button on his phone and relayed a message to the artificial assistant, Janet (Stark’s version of Siri), to let their pilot know that they would be there shortly.

Assuring Jemma that the necessary checkout process was being handled, they headed towards the roof to their waiting ride.

Outside, the rain was still falling in thick sheets, the rooftop a messy pond. Pulling the hood of her raincoat over her head, they ran over as quickly as they could to the helicopter and strapped in.

As they flew away, the town getting smaller the higher they went, Jemma rested her head against Fitz and smiled.

Only a few hours ago, the rain had been a noisy hindrance. Now, though, with Fitz by her side and the warm feeling of his lips pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head, she’d never felt more content or safe.

The dark clouds and thick rain finally felt right again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated!


	4. Part IV: Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of rain won't get in the way of a great day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s our birthday week, chidi-anagonye! As such, I thought it was fitting to finally post the last installment of your FS Secret Valentine! I hope that you enjoy this short ‘n sweet ending (the part that actually fits your prompt). Thanks for sticking around and for giving me such a fantastic world to work with!

They had been driving for a little longer than half an hour, the grass on the green hillside blowing softly in the warm summer breeze. She had the window rolled down, her hand waving up and down with the wind. In a moment she’d roll up the window, the small droplets of water from the incoming summer shower were falling faster and faster. For now, though, she simply enjoyed the feelings of rain on her skin and the sound of Fitz’s soft humming.

They drove for a while longer until she felt the car slowing as Fitz pulled up to a large, empty field. By now, the rain was coming down harder, though she was still reluctant to roll up the window.

Everything was beautiful. Though the rain still fill, the sun was shining, casting a magnificent golden haze across the field, making the raindrops look like tiny diamonds glittering in the late afternoon light. Jemma thought, however, that none of it compared to the soft smile Fitz gave her as he parked the car.

Lightly laughing, she pulled her focus from Fitz and looked outside once more. “What are we doing here? Where  _ is _ here?” she asked.

“Well, I was hoping to take you outside to get a better view, but it looks like the rain’s not stopping anytime soon,” he said, looking out the windshield for confirmation.

“Unless you’re made of sugar,” she laughed at the face he made, “I don’t see the harm in going outside.”

Glancing at one another, giddy with excitement, they both got out of the car and enjoyed the moment.

Pausing, Jemma captured Fitz’s face between her hands and brought him down for a gentle kiss. It was straight out of some cheesy movie, and she loved. Pulling back, she whispered, “You know, you never told me where we are.”

Stepping back from her, his face turning serious, he turned to the open field gesturing his arm out to the side. “I know it isn’t much right now, but…” he trailed off and turned back to her. “Do you remember back at the Academy, probably a few months after we met? You told me about that little cottage you and your family passed when you were little”

Eyes widening in understanding, a sudden onslaught of emotions hit her as she nodded, slowly looking up at him.

“I couldn’t find that exact one, but I thought, maybe if you’d like, we could build our own?” he asked and gave a small shrug. “If you want,” he added as a nervous afterthought.

Capturing his face once again, she looked up at him and whispered, “You daft man, of course I want this. You, this cottage, all of it. I don’t care where we live, as long as I’m with you. But this,” she said, looking out to the field as the rain began to pick up. “This is more than I could ever possibly ask for and I cannot wait to make a lifetime of memories in it with you.”

It truly was the perfect spot and she was eager to see the field become an actual home. Feeling the rain intensify, they rushed back to the car, giggling like a couple of teenagers.

Although the rain was warm, she still felt a shiver run down her spine. Never one to miss the little things, Fitz quickly started the car and turned on the heater. Not quite wanting to leave just yet, Jemma leaned her seat back and closed her eyes. After a quick moment of confusion, she felt Fitz follow suit, his motions stalled for a second as he reached for a blanket to cover them.

Hands clasped underneath the blanket, the two of them enjoyed the pattering of rain on the roof of the car. In the background, the music Fitz had been playing beforehand warbled out softly through the speakers.

If you had told Jemma all those years ago – back when she had glumly visited the silly little shop in search of a movie – that one day she’d be this incredibly happy, she would have laughed. Sure, she envisioned a happy and productive future for herself. But she never thought -- never considered -- that she’d fall in love, particularly with the grumpy boy who didn’t like her.

Dizzy with happiness, the rain falling, the music playing, and the little blanket cocooning her and Fitz, she moved closer to him and nuzzled up against his side. Even though the middle console jabbed uncomfortably in her back, she stayed there just a moment longer and enjoyed the strong beating of his heart underneath her ear. Turning her head, she reached up and kissed him with all the intensity she could possibly muster to convey the endless love she had for him.

After all, he was home and she was never leaving.

_ Rain, rain, don’t go away _

_ When you’re here, you make my day. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done!! I hope you all enjoyed this, I had fun working with the prompt and _finally_ writing something! As always, thanks for reading...comments and kudos are appreciated! 
> 
> I'm also over on [Tumblr](ughfitz.tumblr.com), feel free to come and chat!

**Author's Note:**

> Fun Fact: I once was watching a movie with a friend (not the same movie as FS) when lightning struck my house and we screamed. Also, Family Video is _still_ out there selling movies (I saw an evening news story about it, and though the only open locations are pretty clustered to one specific region of the US and I'm not certain it would be near them, I like the idea of a smiling Fran selling movies!) Anyway, thanks for reading...comments and kudos are always appreciated!
> 
> Technically I have the other three parts all written, it's just a matter of editing and posting. That said, real life might get in the way, but I'm hoping not to keep you all waiting for too long. 
> 
> I'm also over on [Tumblr](http://ughfitz.tumblr.com/), feel free to come and chat!


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